Commission seeks records from agencies, listens to advocates for good government

By Rick Karlin

Published 9:53 pm, Friday, July 26, 2013

The special Moreland Act panel created by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to investigate corruption in state government and political campaigns met quietly this week after staffers quizzed good-government groups for their analyses of flaws in the system.

Commission staffers have since followed up with specific requests of those agencies. "They've asked us for some documents," BOE spokesman John Conklin said.

Conklin said he didn't have an inventory of what the Moreland investigators sought, but he acknowledged an October 2012 letter in which the board requested additional funding was among the paperwork requested.

In the letter to state Budget Director Robert Megna, the BOE laid out the difficulties it faces in policing campaign finance violations with the current $1 million budget devoted to that task.

"Unfunded staff positions have resulted in a serious reduction in the ability to fully address our mandated functions," it read in part.

The BOE also spoke of the 1990s-era computer system it uses to keep track of campaign finance data.

JCOPE spokesman John Milgrim directed questions about what staffers sought to the Moreland panel.

But commission officials, including Executive Director Regina Calcaterra, didn't respond to calls and e-mails on Friday.

Cuomo created the commission earlier this month to shine a light on "corruption and the appearance of such corruption in state government, political campaigns and elections in New York State."

The governor appointed Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to the commission. The AG deputized other local district attorneys appointed to the panel, including Albany County's David Soares.

The commission has subpoena power and is planning public hearings in the early fall, including a Sept. 24 session at The Crossings of Colonie.

One of the groups that commission members met with last week was the New York City-based Citizens Union, which has over the years published reports on public corruption and campaign finance reform.

"They were interested in hearing our analysis of campaign finance reform and the budget process," said Dick Dadey, Citizens Union's executive director. "They are trying to get a sense of the lay of the land."